As many of our faithful readers know, Inhabitat’s office is located in New York’s Lower East Side — and we wouldn’t have it any other way. The neighborhood is chock-full of tasty vegan cafes and awesome eco shops, but it’s also packed with historic, decades-old New York City classics like the Essex Street Market, located directly across the street from the Inhabioffice. Built in the 1930s, the indoor market is home to dozens of vendors selling fresh produce and locally made goods, (it’s a favorite lunch spot for us!) and for the first time in its history, the market is set to get a major makeover. At a meeting last week, potential new designs were unveiled for a brand new Essex Street Market. Hit the jump for all the details.

The new market is part of a major redevelopment plan known as SPURA, the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (more on that later!). During a committee meeting on June 27, city officials and architects walked through four different scenarios for the Essex Street Market. One plan calls for leaving the market in its current home on the Northeast corner of Essex and Delancey Streets, but giving the location a major renovation. Another plan, depicted in these renderings, calls for building an entirely new market, located on the southeast corner of the same intersection where it currently sits.

The much larger two-floor facility would be located within a mixed-use residential building. The space would be nearly twice as big as the current market, and it would have a large outdoor courtyard. Two levels flooded with daylight would be dedicated for the market, and the basement would house storage areas and maintenance facilities.

Many longtime Lower East Siders would like to see the market kept where it is, but both plans are still being discussed. Nothing has yet been decided. The renderings shown here were create specifically to use as illustrations during the meeting. They do not represent an actual plan for the market. No matter which plan goes forth, we hope that the architects and designers will put sustainable design at the top of their priorities. Later this month, the development committee will be deciding which elements of SPURA plan will be included in an environmental assessment, giving us a better idea of the fate of the Essex Street Market.